In dry summer climates like Zone 9, planting bamboo can create beautiful shade and screening during hot weather. A luscious living privacy screen of bamboo can be created quickly with bamboo’s noted vigor in our full sun. Start by choosing bamboo that thrives in hot summers, and fits your desired height and density. From “towering” species like Vivax and Oldhamii, to shorter denser varieties like Golden and Yellow Groove, bamboo creates magical shade sure to grab the attention of any unsuspecting Adirondack chair in search of shaded solace.

Over time a single properly chosen drought tolerant bamboo plant can become a stand or screen. We planted multiple bamboos in 5-gallon pots, 5 feet apart, and created a dense screen within three years under zone 9 sun. Livestock now seek out this stand for summer shade (and an occasional happy nibble through the fence). The more heat loving bamboo you plant, the faster and denser the coverage. Bamboo can be tactically pruned to your desired height and translucency (the physical property of allowing light to pass through the material – with or without scattering of the light).

How you water bamboo in Mediterranean climates factors greatly into the success and timing of your bamboo screen. In general, watering newly established bamboo heavily in its first summer, mildly in spring and fall, and almost never in winter; produces ridiculously fast healthy growth. You can literally watch bamboo grow over a single day in our warm light filled climate. Plant bamboo for shading, or to create an incredibly beautiful living privacy screen.

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